As he had always done when he was just a servant, Ace woke up before sunrise, but unlike a typical day, Ace would not be chopping logs of wood.
"An Outer-Sect Disciple doesn't chop wood," he said to himself with a satisfied smile.
"This should be everything." Ace didn't need to pack anything other than the letters he received from his parents, his bow, and his quiver of arrows, and as for clothes, he only needed to change to the Outer Circle Disciple uniform given to him the day before.
Patting the dust off his clothes, Ace went out to wash his face. The dirt he got when he fell from the tree was still on him as he didn't have the time to clean himself up after returning and reporting his improvement.
Ace dried his face off with a towel and proceeded to clean his entire body. After a while, Ace finished cleaning his dirt-covered body, went inside the servants' quarters, and changed to the Outer Circle Disciple uniform.
His uniform was red a robe, lined black on the edge of both sleeves. The black lining on the sleeves showed his identity as an Outer Circle disciple. Ace checked the fitness of his clothes and headed out to the meeting place even before sunrise.
His steps were full of bravado and confidence, as if he was showing off that he could finally step into the world he dreamt of. Ace could hardly contain his happiness.
Ace attracted attention while sauntering on the road. Eyes filled with envy surrounded him, making him feel like some hero returning from a Heavenly War. Ace was naturally enjoying the looks of others, but he didn't try rubbing it on their faces by looking down upon them because he also knew how it felt when someone from the foot of the mountain obtained an Outer Circle disciple clothing.
The envy he felt when someone got to walk up the mountain before he was not something Ace wanted to replicate.
His parents taught him better.
No, Ace wanted to look dignified, befitting a disciple of an Immortal Sect that rules the Old Dragon Continent, but his broad smile failed to make him any fancier than a hobo finding a half-eaten sandwich. Ace passed the servants and found himself in front of the carved stairs leading up the mountain top.
The stone stair had many steps. Even when Ace counted the farthest that he could see from below was the ninety-fifth step, he knew that didn't stop there. Ace took a deep breath before taking a step forward and climbing up the stone steps.
Ace was a cultivator now, so it was nothing for him. The heavenly essence in his body had finally been molded into a Soul Seed… although his Soul Seed was a little bit different from what he read.
From a book he read about cultivation, a Soul Seed would look like a mustard seed and have the same size as a peanut. Though, on some occasions, the Soul Seed may have the size of a walnut, this kind of situation also reflects a cultivator's talent.
However, in Ace's case, his Soul Seed dramatically differs from the norm because his Soul Seed does not look like a mustard seed from any angle. It was more of a mutated monster. His soul seed had a warped image; half of it seemed completely normal while the other had a tiny hole that glowed red, and above it was a tiny pointy branch resembling a horn.
Ace was surprised when he saw his Soul Seed after he woke up from suddenly blacking out, but when he thought of the strange system, Ace just accepted what was happening.
The system itself was a mysterious thing that he didn't know about, and he couldn't say to anyone else, so just like the system, Ace chose to keep quiet regarding his Soul Seed during his report to the Observer.
He didn't make a big deal out of something minor. It might hinder him from joining the Sect.
After a few minutes of climbing, Ace reached the 1000th step.
Reaching the top of the stone steps, what greeted him was the towering wall of mist and two young boys seated in the waiting area of the stone steps. Ace noticed that the two young boys' clothes were the same as his.
"Did the two of you also manage to break through yesterday?" Ace asked.
"No, I managed to break through three days ago." A young man with a round body answered.
"Five days ago." the other one said coldly.
One of the two had a handsome face with a cold pair of eyes, making him look scary.
The round boy had a body larger than ordinary men his age, but behind those fats, he also had a handsome face. His jolly disposition made him welcoming and friendly.
The young and energetic fatty walked up to Ace and invited him to sit next to him.
"Fellow brother of the Sect seems like we three will be advancing simultaneously; haha, this must be destiny! My name is Yuan, and that guy with the scary-looking eyes over there is called Greed."
The young fatty Yuan had a friendly smile on his face when he went over to say hello to Ace, his fat bounced around, but that didn't seem to stop him from moving.
Ace smiled and said to fatty Yuan.
"Seems like you're right, brother Yuan; my name is Ace." Ace introduced himself to Fatty Yuan and the stoic Greed, who kept his eyes closed, 'Is he acting like that because he was named Greed? I mean, who names others Greed?'
"Please excuse Greed's rudeness; he was too excited to sleep for the last three nights, exhausted. Also, I think his name is not really Greed. He just likes how it sounds."
"Oh, really?"
"Fatty, what did I tell you about gossiping about me?"
Greed couldn't open his eyes even when berating his previous roommate.
Fatty and Ace were able to hit it off, and immediately the two of them became friends; although Greed only talked a little, Ace found him not to be a bad person after all, and before long, Fatty and Ace were laughing together.
"Seems like we have some energetic youths advancing to become an outer circle disciple. That is good, that is good indeed, hoho."
While they were having fun, a silhouette walked out of the mist. Gracefully, an old man walked out of the mist barrier alerting Ace and the other two with him.
When he walked out of the mist barrier, the mist parted, creating a path for him, and after he stepped out, the mist barrier returned to normal. The old man looked kind, and the air around him was very calming, making Ace and the others feel at ease.
The old man had his white hair tied to a messy bun on top of his head. One could tell he was already an old man with his lanky frame, but how he smiled and acted full of life made him look younger than he should.
Three youths saw the old man, and immediately the three of them didn't delay and bowed to show their respect, "we pay respect to Elder." The three young men said and bent at the same time. The three of them were so in synch that they looked like they had practiced this movement a thousand times.
"Hoho, enough with the formalities. I don't like it that much… take this." The elder tossed them three black color medallions.
Ace caught the medallion from the air.
The medallion fit their hands perfectly.
"Those will be your sect medallions. Try channeling some of your heavenly essences to the medallion." The old man instructed, and the three did what they were told and started channeling their spirit energy to the black medallion.
Ace channeled heavenly essence, then both sides of the medallion lit up, and when the light dissipated, Ace checked what was changed only to see his name was already engraved on both sides, "Ace."
The three youths' eyes glittered with joy.
"Those medallions will let you pass through the mist barrier that separates the outside world from our Sect. This medallion will also let you guys enter most of the Sect's facilities without needing to show anything else, and this medallion will also change in color after you break through the next realm."
Ace listened to the old man explaining and immediately got the gist of what the black medallion was for, and after some more introductions, the old man finally beckoned them to follow him to the mist barrier.
"Wanna see what will be your home in your journey to ascension?"
This was the moment Ace had been waiting for since he entered the Immortal Demon Sect. Ace usually only observed the mist barrier and dreamed of one day crossing over it to see what lies beyond the mist.
Ace's heart could not help but beat faster and become wild.
Their footsteps echoed in their ears as the mist parted, creating a path for them to cross; the old man led the way while making casual remarks from time to time. Then, when the old man took the final step, light entered the mist barrier, blinding Ace, Yuan, and Greed.
The three blocked the bright light coming to them and slowly walked out of the mist barrier, and when their eyes regained their proper sense of sight, what they witnessed would forever be etched in their mind and heart.
Floating Islands that housed countless mysteries, Mountain Ranges resembling giant swords, Towering Structures that touched the skies!
The sound of screeching howls of Magical Beasts echoed in their ears when a flock of feathered beasts flew up the air from below. The wind produced by the feathered beast created intense wind pressure enough to topple any mortal warrior.
The flock of feathered beasts had a strange image; its mouth was that of a lion, its limbs were that of an eagle's talon, its tail was a snake, and its wings were of a giant bird. The flock of magical feathered beasts flew and disappeared near the mountain range.
A Palace that radiated an aureate light.
A Giant Arrow sticking out of a volcano.
Lightning and Flames, clashing and cascading across the skies.
Rampaging Beasts of unknown proportions!
All of it was there for the three to witness.
Ace... could not utter how beautiful it was.
The old man saw their beaming faces and showed them a proud smile, "This is the Immortal Demon Sect, a place where strength is cultivated. Sword, Spear, Monsters, Formations, Elements, Souls nothing here is prohibited. Humans, Demons, Devils, Beasts, Fae, Giants, it doesn't matter what you are; if you have talent, we shall give you the chance to soar to the High Heavens and conquer the deepest Hell! Welcome to Immortal Demon Sect!"
Ace's heart beat wildly from excitement.
He could feel it; this place would be able to provide him what he had been searching for.
'So this is where the strongest people are created....' Ace was having a hard time containing his excitement down.